Udate from Peru: Pachamanka and Machu Pichu

I was out traveling for a large part of May and without much time or Internet access. Hence the reason for the delay in posting.

• My dad came to visit me in May and the community of Candelaria and my friends decided to host a Pachamanka for him. Pacha means earth and manka means hole. But, its a traditional meal from the Sierra where potatoes, sweet potatoes, lima beans, and meat is cooked in the earth. The food is incredibly decision and takes almost and entire day to prepare. First, one has to dig the hole in a very particular way, and then cook the food, which takes a long time. My friend Dora in Candelaria hosted the fiesta in her house and my friend Jhonny prepared the food. It made me feel like I have become accepted into the community and have built some long lasting friendships.

• While my dad was visiting, we went to Cusco and Machu Pichu for several days. There is truly something magical about the place. Once you get there, the clouds open up and reveal this enchanting city. They say that Machu Pichu was a summer palace for the Inca Emperor Pachacutec and was found completely intact (the Spanish conquistadores did not find know of the place). It was discovered by an archeologist from Yale university. The artifacts from Machu Pichu are still at Yale, pending a request from Peru for their return. For anyone planning to visit the place, instead of doing the Waynu Pichu hike, for which you have to get up at 4am and be lucky enough to be one of the 400 people who are allowed on the hike per day, it is better to do the "Inca Mountain" hike, which is splits off from the "Puerta de Sol" hike. It is 1.5hours of straight climbing stairs to the top of the mountain, which has the best aerial view of Machu Pichu.